22. “Don, dis ela, qui que·m sia,
“Sir, she said, whoever I may be,

23. ben conosc sen e folia;
I know well both sense and folly;

24. la vostra pareillaria,
your companionship,

25. lai on se tang si s’estia,
even where one might enjoy it,

26. que tals la cuid’en bailia
that such men think to hold it dear,

27. tener, no·n a mas l’ufana.”
but there’s no desire in me to keep it.”

V

28. “Toza de gentil afaire,
“Girl of graceful conduct,

29. cavaliers fon vostre paire
knights were your father,

30. que.us engenret en la maire,
who begot you upon your mother,

31. car fon corteza vilana.
for though she was a peasant’s daughter.

32. Con plus vos gart, m’etz belaire,
The more he guarded you, the more lovely you became,

33. e per vostre joi m’esclaire,
and for your joy you enlighten me,

34. si·m fossetz un pauc humana!’”
if only you were a little more human!”

VI

35. Don, tot mon ling e mon aire
“Sir, all my lineage and my life

36. Vei revertir e retraire
I see returning and drawn back

37. Al vezoig et a l’araire,
to the sickle and to the plough,

38. Seigner, so.m dis la vilana;
Lord,” so said the peasant girl;

39. Mas tals se fai cavalgaire
but many make themselves cavalier

40. C’atrestal deuria faire
who ought to do this

41. Los seis jorns de la setmana.
six days of the week.

---

VII

42. Toza, fi.m ieu, gentils fada,
“Girl,” said I, “noble fairy,

43. Vos adastret, quan fos nada,
you were endowed, when you were born,

44. D’una beutat esmerada
with a treasured beauty

45. Sobre tot’autra vilana;
above every other peasant girl;

46. E seria.us ben doblada,
and you would be truly doubled [in worth]

47. Si.m vezi’una vegada,
if I saw once

48. Sobira e vos sotrana.”
me above and you below.”

Paraphrase:
In these sections, the shepherdess asserts her independence and discernment. She tells the knight that she understands both sense and folly and that she has no desire to indulge his companionship simply because he approaches her.

The knight admires her, noting her noble lineage—her father a knight, her mother a peasant—and observes that her guardianship and circumstances have enhanced her charm. He laments that she is “a little more human,” suggesting a wish for greater receptivity to his attention. The shepherdess then reminds him of the realities of life: her work with the plough and sickle occupies her time, and many men aspire to knighthood but are bound to labor.

The knight continues to praise her innate beauty, noting that she was endowed with exceptional gifts at birth and would be “doubled in worth” if seen elevated above him, emphasizing the contrast between social humility and inherent nobility.

Glossary:
• pareillaria – Companionship or social intimacy.
• ufana – Desire, inclination, or pleasure.
• gentil afaire – Graceful, noble conduct; moral elegance.
• cavalgaire – Knightly man or cavalier.
• adastret – Endowed, gifted.
• beutat esmerada – Treasured, remarkable beauty.
• sobira e vos sotrana – “Me above and you below,” referencing social hierarchy or vantage.
• ling e aire – Lineage and life; family heritage and personal conduct.
• vezoig et a l’araire – Agricultural labor: the plough and the sickle.

Historical Note:
These passages highlight the pastorela’s hallmark tension between courtly admiration and social reality. The knight represents noble ideals and desire, while the shepherdess embodies rural labor, prudence, and moral agency. Marcabru often used the pastorela to critique social pretense, illustrating that women of humble origin could exercise intelligence and wit, resisting the advances of noble suitors while teaching lessons about propriety and social balance.

Author:
Marcabru was a pioneering troubadour known for combining satire, moral critique, and courtly-love themes. He gave female characters intelligence, agency, and wit, allowing them to instruct or resist male suitors. His pastorelas are socially and psychologically nuanced, reflecting early medieval commentary on hierarchy, virtue, and desire.

Modern Connection:
The shepherdess models assertiveness and autonomy, reminding us that relationships—romantic or social—require respect for personal boundaries and consent. The knight’s behavior illustrates ethical pursuit: admiration tempered by courtesy and awareness of social context. These lessons remain relevant today: attraction, desire, or charm must coexist with respect for others’ agency, social constraints, and ethical conduct.

Deeper Significance:
Marcabru presents love as a dialogue between desire and moral awareness. The knight’s longing contrasts with the shepherdess’s grounded independence.

The text reflects a shift in troubadour thinking: from unrestrained pursuit of beauty or conquest to recognition of social reality and female agency.

Love is framed as an ethical exchange, requiring negotiation, prudence, and attention to hierarchy, labor, and moral responsibility. The tension between idealized desire and practical reality emphasizes that human affection is inseparable from social and ethical consideration, illustrating that love is a matter of respect, understanding, and moral discernment.

Lines 49-69

49. Seigner, tan m’avetz lauzada,
“Sir, you have praised me so much

50. Que tota.n sui enojada;
that I am entirely annoyed;

51. Pois en pretz m’avetz levada,
since by your praise you have raised me in worth,

52. Seigner, so.m dis la vilana,
Lord,” said the peasant girl,

53. Per so n’auretz per soudada
for that you will have as your wage

54. Al partir: bada, fols, bada
when you leave: gape, fool, gape

55. E la muz a meliana.”
and the scornful laugh at midday.”

---

IX

56. Toz’estraing cor e salvatge
“A heart foreign and untamed

57. Adomesg’om per uzatge.
is tamed by use.

58. Ben conosc al trespassatge
I certainly know by experience

59. Qu’ab aital toza vilana
that, with a peasant girl like this

60. Pot hom far ric compaignatge
a man can make fine companionship

61. Ab amistat de coratge,
with friendship of heart,

62. Si l’us l’autre non engana.”
if one doesn’t deceive the other.”

---

X

63. Don, hom coitatz de follatge
“Sir, a man beset by folly

64. Jur’e pliu e promet gatge:
swears, pledges and promises pledges:

65. Si.m fariatz homenatge,
if you were to pay homage to me,

66. Seigner, so.m dis la vilana;
Lord,” said the peasant girl;

67. Mas ieu, per un pauc d’intratge,
but I, for a little entrance fee,

68. Non vuoil ges mon piucellatge
do not want my virginity

69. Camjar per nom de putana.”
changed for the name of harlot.”

Paraphrase:
In these sections, the shepherdess firmly responds to the knight’s praise and attention. She tells him that he has praised her so much that she is now annoyed; although his flattery raises her in worth, she warns that he will gain nothing from it.

She mocks him, calling him a fool and promising the scornful laugh of midday. The dialogue then turns to practical wisdom: she observes that a foreign, untamed, or inexperienced heart can be trained by experience, and with patience and honesty, a peasant girl can become a trustworthy and companionable partner.

The knight continues to make vows, pledges, and promises of homage, yet she responds that she will not exchange her virginity for flattery or social pretense, asserting her moral autonomy and integrity.

Glossary:
• lauzada – Praise, flattery.
• enojada – Annoyed, displeased.
• soudada – Reward or recompense.
• bada – Gape; used as a mild insult.
• meliana – Scornful laugh, midday used figuratively for mockery.
• estraing – Foreign, untamed, or inexperienced.
• adomesg’om – Tamed or trained by experience.
• trespassatge – Experience or trial; learning through action.
• compaignatge – Companionship, social or emotional partnership.
• coitatz de follage – Beset or led by folly; a foolish man.
• piucellatge – Virginity.
• putana – Harlot, prostitute; used to mark moral boundary.
• intratge – Small enticement or token of persuasion.

Historical Note:
The pastorela genre highlights the contrast between courtly ideals and rural social reality. Marcabru emphasizes the shepherdess’s wit, moral discernment, and social intelligence, showing that even a woman of humble origin can command respect, assert boundaries, and instruct a noble suitor. These sections illustrate 12th-century expectations about female agency, courtly behavior, and sexual propriety. The dialogue enforces that desire must be guided by ethical and social constraints, not flattery or status.

Author:
Marcabru was a pioneering troubadour known for moralistic, satirical, and socially perceptive poetry. He gave women in pastorelas authority, wit, and the ability to instruct or resist, contrasting with contemporaneous depictions of passive damsels. Marcabru’s works combine literary artistry with social commentary on virtue, desire, and hierarchy.

Modern Connection:
These lines emphasize assertiveness, moral clarity, and personal agency. The shepherdess models the importance of consent, boundaries, and ethical engagement. The knight’s promises reflect courtship rituals, but she refuses any transactional exchange for affection or intimacy. Modern parallels include respecting autonomy, ethical conduct in relationships, and valuing honesty over manipulation or persuasion.

Deeper Significance:
Marcabru presents love as an ethical dialogue between desire and moral awareness. The knight embodies idealized longing, while the shepherdess embodies prudence, autonomy, and discernment.

Over time, troubadour poetry shifted from pursuit of beauty or conquest toward acknowledgment of female agency and social reality. Love is framed as reciprocal, ethical, and constrained by respect, insight, and moral responsibility. These lines underscore that admiration must be grounded in ethics, consent, and recognition of the other’s autonomy, demonstrating that human affection is inseparable from social and moral considerations.

Lines 70-89

70. Toza, tota creatura
“Girl, every creature

71. Revertis a sa natura:
returns to its nature:

72. Pareillar pareilladura
to match with like kind

73. Devem, ieu e vos, vilana,
we must, you and I, peasant girl,

74. A l’abric lonc la pastura,
in a shelter far from the pasture,

75. Car plus n’estaretz segura
for you will be safer there

76. Per far la cauza doussana.”
to do the sweet deed.”

---

XII

77. Don, oc; mas segon dreitura
“Sir, yes; but according to right

78. Cerca fols sa follatura,
the fool seeks his folly,

79. Cortes cortez’aventura
the courteous seeks courteous adventure

80. E il vilans ab la vilana;
and the peasant with the peasant;

81. En tal loc fai sens fraitura
in such a place there is no sense,

82. On hom non garda mezura,
where one does not keep moderation,

83. So ditz la gens anciana.”
so say the wise people of old.”

---

XIII

84. Toza, de vostra figura
“Girl, of your appearance

85. Non vi autra plus tafura
I see no other more arch

86. Ni de son cor plus trefana.”
nor with heart more mocking.”

---

XIV (Tornada)

87. Don, lo cavecs vos ahura,
“Sir, here’s an owl for your pain,

88. Que tals bad’en la peintura
for while one gazes at the painting

89. Qu’autre n’espera la mana.”
another waits for the manna.”

Paraphrase:
In these final sections, the knight suggests that all creatures naturally pair with their own kind and proposes that he and the shepherdess, both of humble stock, could be together in a sheltered place away from the pasture, implying intimacy and safety.

The shepherdess responds prudently, acknowledging that desire must follow proper measure: fools pursue folly, the courteous seek courteous adventures, and peasants pair with peasants, following moderation and the wisdom of the ancients.

She compliments herself subtly, claiming no other matches her in appearance or clever, teasing heart. In the tornada, she delivers a playful parting: giving him metaphorically an owl, a symbol of folly, and warns that while he focuses on her, another waits for sustenance elsewhere, highlighting the teasing, ironic conclusion typical of pastorelas.

Glossary:
• revertis a sa natura – Returns to its nature; aligns with natural pairing.
• pareilladura – Like matches with like; social or natural conformity.
• abric – Shelter or safe place.
• doussana – Sweet deed; intimate or affectionate act, contextually sexual but morally framed.
• segon dreitura – According to right; properly, ethically.
• fols – Fool; someone led by folly.
• follatura – Folly, foolish pursuit.
• cortes – Courteous or knightly.
• vilans – Peasant, rustic, or low-born.
• fraitura – Lack of sense, imprudence.
• mezura – Moderation, proper measure, social propriety.
• tafura – Charming or arch expression; playful attractiveness.
• trefana – Witty, teasing, mischievous of heart.
• cavecs – Literally “owl”; metaphor for folly or mockery.
• peintura – Painting; metaphor for display or attention.
• mana – Manna; sustenance or reward, suggesting another opportunity elsewhere.

Historical Note:
The pastorela often concludes with teasing or ironic closure, highlighting the tension between courtly desire and social propriety. Here, Marcabru emphasizes that desire must respect social norms, moderation, and moral boundaries. The tornada’s wordplay reflects the oral performance tradition of troubadours and demonstrates the poet’s blending of moral instruction, humor, and social commentary. It illustrates the interplay between noble aspiration and rural realism, characteristic of the pastorela genre.

Author:
Marcabru was a pioneering troubadour known for combining satire, courtly-love themes, and social critique. In this pastorela, he gives the shepherdess intelligence, wit, and moral authority, allowing her to guide, correct, and tease the knight while demonstrating contrasts between idealized courtly desire and real-world constraints.

Modern Connection:
The shepherdess models prudence, assertiveness, and playful intelligence—qualities still relevant in negotiating modern relationships and maintaining personal boundaries. Her guidance reminds us that admiration or desire should respect ethical limits and that flattery or attention alone does not justify entitlement. The metaphor of another waiting elsewhere highlights mindfulness and perspective, emphasizing that focusing solely on one’s desire can blind one to broader opportunities and responsibilities.

Deeper Significance:
Marcabru portrays love as a dialogue balanced between desire, morality, and social sense. The knight’s longing contrasts with the shepherdess’s prudence, highlighting the ethical dimension of attraction.

The poem reflects a historical evolution in troubadour thought: from pursuit and idealization to reciprocal understanding, social awareness, and moral responsibility.

Love is legitimate only when tempered by moderation, consent, and respect for the other’s autonomy. The tornada underscores that intelligence, subtle guidance, and playful wit are integral to understanding love, illustrating that true admiration and affection are inseparable from ethical and social discernment.

Brief summary of the entire poem

The poem is a pastorela, a dialogue between a knight and a shepherdess. The knight encounters a peasant girl in the fields and admires her beauty, wit, and noble qualities despite her humble birth. He attempts to court her with praise, flattery, and pledges of attention. The shepherdess responds with intelligence, prudence, and moral discernment: she asserts her autonomy, sets boundaries, and evaluates his desire against social norms and ethical propriety. She warns that flattery, folly, or excessive admiration do not grant entitlement and emphasizes that pairing, intimacy, or affection should follow moderation, consent, and natural social alignment.

The poem explores the tension between idealized courtly love and practical social reality, highlighting female agency and the ethical dimension of desire. The shepherdess teases, instructs, and tests the knight, blending moral guidance with playful wit. By the tornada, she concludes with a clever, ironic gesture, reminding him that focus on desire must be tempered by prudence and awareness of social circumstances.

Overall, the poem presents love as a dialogue between admiration and moral responsibility, showing that genuine affection requires respect, moderation, and reciprocal understanding, not mere flattery or social rank. It reflects the troubadours’ evolving view of love: from simple pursuit of beauty or conquest to an ethical, socially grounded interaction between equals.